Found a minute here and there this week to do some more stuff to the hut. Finally got almost all of the white drywall covered up. Made good use of the split bamboo scraps to do part of the job and the rest got done with some more decorative fabric panels (fabric glued to foam core and affixed w/staple gun) and the decorative art paper I picked up last week.

Some shots around the top...

After getting the netting back up and everything in place (w and w/o flash)...

Took a break from the build for a few minutes and dropped by my local Goodwill Friday. Found my first tiki mug! And so, the collection begins (yes, I'm doing things backwards...).

Another page-a-day pic (needed Elmer's, Gorilla, and hot glue to keep this one together, but finally got it all to stick)...

Scored some missing vinyl for the exotica collection (Atlanta's got some great used record stores)...

On the way to get milk this morning, noticed a yard sale going on. Decided to see if any tiki might turn up. A lady asked me what I might be looking for and I asked if there was any tiki stuff. Antiques? she said... no, "tiki"... she said no tikis but she had something I might be interested in- a set of Pacific Merchants Acacia wood serving trays. Rain was on the way and everything had to go. I got both pieces for $1! Proper nosh service...

Had to clean the old goldfish bowl. Updated with pet store Moai...

Got some of my lounge collection off the floor and into the bottom shelves of the bar. Also wired up a couple of speakers and a sub to run from the laptop. Don't really need it as the library has an adequate sound system, but just wanted to see what I could do w/stuff on hand...

(sorry for the foot... kind of hard to get out of the way back there)

Used the scroll saw to start cutting out the letters for the sign that will hang above the awning...

Needed some additional shelving and got the bright idea to use some old pallet oak... very tough and unruly but ended up with something nonetheless... (really like the way the chain looks; just spray painted it flat black)

(picked up the little plate here also at Goodwill...)

Better idea of the shape from below...
(warning: naked drywall in this pic!)

Still lots more space for do-dads and what-nots, but it's starting to look a bit more natural...

Some shots w/indirect lighting in effect...

Can't seem to find orgeat around here, so I'm ordering some Torani online, but except for a few details, this thing is just about ready for its first test drive. Next up- finish the sign and add a tiki torch atop the corner pole (and replace those white vinyl mini-blinds with some bamboo blinds). Hope to be back next weekend w/another update.

Didn't expect to get anything done today, but managed a few minutes to finish thatching the awning. Wanted the front to look like it peaked where the roof slants downward inside the closet. It's hard to get what it actually looks like from these pics, but the effect turned out pretty cool...

From the front...
(yeah, the white wire easels are disturbing, but I'm over it)
Below from the front...
From behind the bar...
Another front side...
And one more from the top...
(torch is definitely going to dress up this pole)

Well, I'm off to check out these neon flicker bulbs that TorchGuy is recommending and look for a couple of puffers...

Thanks for looking.
(Trader Bob, if you make it to Atlanta sometime, the Hut's only 10 minutes from Trader Vic's)

Well, I'm quite convinced that tiki tricking a bump-out from the ground up with little to no experience can be quite maddening. In my opinion, there are a lot of builders here who make it look easy, but it's been a battle for me. Anyway, after 10 weeks of messing with this thing, I'm about ready for a break. With the exception of the sign, which will be another story, everything I had imagined and conceived for the design is done.

The main things accomplished this weekend have been the torch and the fence with shelf...

(John and Chris- I have taken your suggestions for the easels to heart and will be working on something custom to replace them this week. Thanks guys, you knew I needed a little extra push...)

I'm not completely satisfied with the torch, but from concept and design to the final product, it is my own work and I'll keep it for now. Here are some pics of the process (lighting is terrible in most of this post's pics, so please excuse...)

I wanted to incorporate some Googie influence in the design and got some idea from this photo...

An old lamp base that's been in storage for years would supply the "cone"...

Chopped up some pine on the DeWalt and then sketched out the shape for cutting with the scroll saw. Lots of cutting and sanding, but here's what the "fingers" ended up looking like...

After everything is put together...
(still need to coat the whole piece in flat black so the cone and fingers match)

So, as you can see, it's a bit more goth than Googie (Neptune meets Mad Max?)............

Wanted to have the effect of separating the hut from the rest of the room, while still keeping the whole thing together and thought that a bamboo fence between the corner pole and the wall/closet corner would work. Here is the result...

Those were the most perplexing things I did this week. Design was pretty easy, execution a whole other basket o' weasels...

Managed to complete a few other things to help decorate the place up a bit...

Another page-a-day calendar pic framed with scrap from the front of the bar top where I had to cut it down to size. At the bottom, you can see the hole where the bees made their way in and out of that old lumber over the years... (love the solar panels in use on these huts)

More panels...

Found a couple of wire basket candle holders at the thrift store. Spray painted them flat black and covered one with art paper and shells...
With candle, but out of focus (I'm no photographer, either)...

Finished cutting out the letters for the sign...

Made some labels for repurposed spice jars...

Cut, sanded, and stained a couple of wood strips to finish covering up the white at the top of the opening...

Managed to score some cups from the thrift store which will be perfect for holding stirring straws, etc. or for use in the kava ceremony!

And one last going out pic (with the sorry lighting, angle, focus, etc., but you can get an idea of the fence and torch elements together here; also, the other, unfinished, wire basket candle lantern above the right awning corner)...

Looks like it's about time to give Mrs. Ashman her living room back and a couple of Mai Tai parties next weekend means I have a lot of cleaning up to do. Still have a few irons in the fire, so hopefully some update will be forthcoming next weekend.

Haven't done much to the hut since last post except host a handful of parties. Even though the bar is quite compact, I've been able to service up to a dozen guests with only a mid-sized cooler tucked behind. Building this bar was so much fun, I'm kind of bummed that there's not much left to do. The good news is that I only have a year left on the lease and then plan to buy a house with room for a full-blown all-tiki lounge.

Not much in the way of new pics to update, but throwing a few in here as an excuse to post...

(finally found a copy of 'primitiva', now if i can just pick up 'forbidden island'...)

Is there a way to strip off that horrid fringe & trim and replace or cover the material on the shade? Maybe ripping off the trim & fringe and covering it with leftover strips of Bac Bac or Thatch? If you use an LED bulb you won't have to worry about the material catching on fire. How about replacing it with a simple cylinder covered in translucent prints of faked up Pau Pau Room ads, or drink menu graphics from Trader Vic's or Don the Beachcomber?
_________________Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., Th.D., D.F.S

Hey Ashman! Great place!! You notice something different each time you look at it. Great use of space and all your handy work is awesome!! Love the Bamboo Tiki Torch you made and lots more! Cool stuff.